1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to recreational apparatus and, more particularly, to apparatus associated with a game of jumping a stream of water from a water sprinkler.
2. Background Information
Many people, especially children, play various kinds of games in a water stream generated from a rotary sprinkler or a garden hose, with obvious benefits of cooling on a hot day, recreation, and exercise. However, such games tend to lack a structure or objectives, other than getting wet, or conceivably getting others wet instead, so that their participants usually quickly tire of the water play. What is needed is a method and apparatus providing an objective for such a game and an automatic means for scoring such a game.
One of the present trends in recreation is an increasing use of technology to provide structure and definite objectives to traditional types of games otherwise lacking these qualities. For example, while various types of tag games and games simulating armed conflict in the context of a war or in the context of xe2x80x9ccops and robbersxe2x80x9d have been played for generations, recent technological innovations in the form of laser devices and paint ball guns have provided structure and objectives against which progress is easily measured. What is needed is a method and device providing a simple and reliable method for tracking the actions of an individual against a predetermined objective during water play using a stream of water from a lawn sprinkler.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a method is provided for use in a game of jumping a rotating stream of water from a sprinkler as the stream of water moves across a player position, wherein the method includes steps of:
a) deploying a first sensor at a first location to generate a first signal in response to movement of the stream of water across the first location, wherein the stream of water moves across the first location before the player position;
b) deploying a second sensor at a second location to generate a second signal in response to movement of the stream of water across the second location, wherein the stream of water moves across the player position and the second location simultaneously;
c) determining whether the stream of water moves across the second location after moving across the first location in response to receiving the first and second signals within a microprocessor; and
d) providing a human perceivable indication in response to a determination made in step c) of whether the stream of water moves across the second location after moving across the first location.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, step c) includes receiving the first signal within the microprocessor and then determining whether the second signal is received within the microprocessor during an allowable actuation time.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, step c) includes receiving the first signal within the microprocessor, determining that the first signal has ended, and then determining whether the second signal is received after the first signal has ended and before receiving the first signal within the microprocessor again.
This method is preferably carried out in an apparatus including the first and second sensors, the microprocessor, a battery and a switch within a housing including a base portion and a sliding portion which is slid into an open position extending outward from the base portion. Sliding the sliding portion into the open position closes the switch to provide electrical power from the battery to the microprocessor and to begin an initialization operation within the microprocessor, which includes starting execution of a program within the microprocessor.